From kids to adults and their families, Gilda's Club supports those touched by cancer. I'd only…read moreheard positive feedback from my family and friends about the Kentuckiana chapter and recently have made connections with their board members and former employees. Today I got to experience their main campus, volunteering at Noogiefest. What an amazing Halloween event and I've been told all of their events meet the same level. As a Make-A-Wish board member, I know many of our Wish Kids access services at Gilda's Club and it warms my heart. Their team is dedicated to their clients and the community - with their time, talents and money. So much respect! Check out their website to learn more about their services, events and volunteer opportunities.

Response to the person who said that the problem was resolved, I am the one who was verbally abused…read moreand how it was resolved, is with me getting kick out. New word I have learn is "gaslighting". I have lost my sister and 4 aunts to cancer and I have had stage 4 cancer with surgeries, radiation and chemo, so a few years ago I started to go to Gilda's Grinstead Louisville Kentucky. I really enjoyed it. When I heard about Gilda's West Louisville Kentucky I decided to check it out. The lady that runs the place Sylvia asked a group of ladies if we would be willing to teach a class. I told Sylvia yes I can teach an art class but I told her I would not be able to move tables and chairs because of my cancer and surgeries, radiation and chemo treatments has left me weak on the right side. She said there was no problem but after I did a few classes I showed up with my mother and Sylvia started yelling and she was moving her face back and forward getting closer to my face, because I was not able to move the tables and chairs. I asked her if she wanted me to quit she said yes so I told her okay. I'll do today's class and then I will not do anymore classes after that. I reached out to Leah and told her all about what happened. Then my husband contacted Karen who is the CEO of Gilda's Kentuckiana and she apologize and said said she was going to take care of everything. I stayed away from Gilda's West for a long time but when I started to go back to Gilda's West, I notice Sylvia would look at me with a scowl. The last time I went to Gilda's west I brought my mother to a day of ladies care and Sylvia was abrupt with me but I overlooked that. My mother who has high blood pressure and her blood pressure was real high so I took her to where she can get her hands massaged and I tried to get her into a class for mindfulness but Sylvia motioned for me to back up and told me no it's not time to sign up yet but she would come and get me, which she did not do. So, before the next class started, I took my mother into the room so she could sit down and relax. The class was great, it relaxed my mother so much that she fell asleep but later on my mother and I was walking my mother smelled coffee and she said she wanted some coffee so I went to go make my mother and I a cup of coffee. But they only had one coffee lid so I was looking around for another coffee lid and a volunteer named Joyce started to yell across the room at me and ask me what are you doing over there and I told her I was looking for a coffee lid and she yelled across the room you are not aloud to look in the cabinet and she continued to yell at me as she walked across the room yelling the same thing on and on, you are not allowed to look in the cabinet, and when she got close to me I backed up and walked away and tried to get out of there as quickly as I could. But she came after me and my mother and started yelling at my mother. I asked her to please stop and she followed me as I walked over to my mom and told my mom I was not allowed in the cabinet. I asked her to stop but she wouldn't so I just put my arm around my mom and just ushered my mom out of that place. So I left a message for Leah the program manager, explaining what happened. My husband wrote a bad review and then Karen CEO of Gilda's Kentuckiana called me. She went off on me and accused me of writing the bad review and when I told her I don't know anything about a review she continue to go off on me and she called me in for a meeting. She had a piece of paper that she wanted me to sign. It stated that I did things that I did not do and she told me if I didn't sign it I would never be able to come back to Gilda's, so I decided not to sign it so I no longer go to Gilda's Kentuckiana.

This is a super special place…read more Is there a problem in your community, and you don't know what to do about it? You might want to talk to your council rep. Or you might try dialing Metro 311. Or you might want to pick a bone with your neighborhood association. But if you still don't know where to look, or you're not sure how to be effective, you might consider these local government jedi masters. Center for Neighborhoods is a nonprofit that provides outreach and assistance to citizens and neighborhood associations in the city of Louisville. First and foremost, I have to tout their twice-a-year Neighborhood Institute program. It's a neighborhood leadership-education class that teaches Community Engagement 101, basic skills in learning to get things done in your neighborhood. It's totally free, funded out of their endowment and other grants, and it's soul-lifting. If you want to figure out a way to slow the speeding traffic on your block, or if you just want to rub elbows with a lot of other community-minded people, it's a wonderful experience. They do a lot of other stuff which you can learn about on their website, but the engagement class is really at the core of their mission. They don't want to promote their own agenda for impacting neighborhoods in the city. They want to empower the people in our communities to find their voices and have those voices heard. In an era when democracy feels more dysfunctional than ever, it's heartwarming to find those places in our communities that prioritize and promote the voices of the average citizen.

Center for Neighborhoods is an amazing non-profit organization that has a great team of people…read moreworking on neighborhood engagement, education and training, planning and design, and data and mapping. CFN works on building healthy, sustainable, safe and attractive neighborhoods through engaged, informed and committed neighbors. I have personally had an amazing experience working with different individuals through CFN on community projects. I have attended their Neighborhood Summit, assisted in planning and execution of their Better Block event, completed their Green Institute, and I am currently enrolled in their Neighborhood Institute. Through these programs I have gained so much knowledge about improving our city and the environment, as well as invaluable resources through education, networking, in-the-field experience, and projects. CFN has actively participated in neighborhood-based development & improvement projects for over forty (40) years. They are an extremely valuable resource to our community, and I count myself very lucky to have found myself involved with them. If you want to work to make your community a better place, CFN is a great organization to collaborate with! I highly suggest that you become involved!

I learned about Feed Louisville through work. A group of coworkers had scheduled volunteer hours…read moreand we promised a 3-4 hour session. The team greeted up, got us registered, and took us into their prep kitchen. Volunteer chefs were working to cool and season entrees and sides. Meals were based on the rescued food taken in from supporting businesses. Our main tasks shifted with peeling potatoes, scooping soup, dishing out sides, cutting fresh fruit. Boxes were labeled to indicate the protein. Periodically volunteers from other organizations would drop in to pick up bags of prepped meals, taking them out for drop off. This is not a cushy day - it's fast paced and messy. You'll be on your feet and working as a team. Wear comfy clothes and nothing warm. The staff guiding the volunteers were friendly and helpful. They managed our time well and we got more prep accomplished than planned. Parking on the street is best. The lot for their building is marked for another company. A little tricky to find the entrance from the angle of its entrance. Volunteering is great for individuals and groups. Visit their website for details.

Feed Louisville is a food rescue organization that has collaborations with multiple food suppliers…read more(grocery stores, bakeries, farmers, caterers, etc) theoughout the city. A team of professional chefs, along with food prep volunteers prepare hundreds of hot meals a day that are distributed (by a distribution team) to the unhoused and underfed populations in the city. They prepare well balanced meals as well as snack (fresh fruit) and treat bags (pastries, donuts, cakes) that have been donated by local grocers and bakeries. Volunteers package hot meals, make sandwiches, sort fruits and veggies and breads, prepare snack bags, chop veggies, peel potatoes, etc. Whatever the volunteer coordinator and chefs need on that particular day. There are morning and afternoon shifts. The staff are wonderful, dedicated professionals who are making a difference in the lives of some of the less fortunate Louisville community members and do it with such grace.

Wow! If you don't know what Waterstep does, you've never been, go for a tour. The tour is targeting…read morepotential volunteers, but it is well worth the time and you might be moved to help out in one way or another. Waterstep is Louisville's own! They operate all Omer and impact the world, but they are ours. And they are a gem! You sign up in advance on their website (https://waterstep.org). As you'll find out they making saving lives an everyday thing. Lots of parking, street and parking lot. You go in, sign in, grab a lunch and sit down. Meet a few neighbors, and the the show starts. A few intros and a video. We also got to meet and speak with a kid from Haitian Children's Choir here in Louisville, who took time away from some recreational activities to learn about Waterstep equipment so he can bring the gift of clean water home to his community. After the video, you get the tour - the equipment is the star of this show. They have a very lean and efficient operation that is truly doing great things. Take the time and take the tour - well worth the time and you might be moved to donate time or money!!.

The mission of Waterstep is to save lives with safe water. They reach pockets of humanity in remote…read moreplaces that do not yet have a safe and reliable water source and they teach them how to provide for their communities themselves with innovative safe water and disinfecting appliances. Please support Waterstep, a worthy cause run by ethical people.

I absolutely love this nonprofit organization. I have worked for them for over two years and get to…read moredo the things I love with the people I love! Every event, camp, and employee training are made to be fun and educational. I have learned so much working for this organization. However, the old building located next to the do wop shop has only street parking and very congested small back parking area, which on more than one occasion has almost caused an accident. The new building built down the street however is much bigger, and provides a little more parking space. Love what this organization stands for and all the great work it does for the special needs community.

This is a fantastic organization. They are well-connected with hospitals and other community…read moreresource distribution centers. Not only do they ship medical supplies overseas, but they also give back locally. You can volunteer there to sort. They are dedicated to staying very organized. It is a great place to take a group for a community service project.

Reviewing a non-profit is difficult because I'm biased (in that I love volunteering in my free…read moretime= automatic 5 stars), but I will say that I am thoroughly impressed with SOS. They're organized, up-to-date, and communicate well with volunteers. No matter if it's your first time volunteering or a regular, everyone is kind and welcoming. I highly recommend coming to sort. You feel so productive and meet so many genuine people who want to help the community. I am grateful we have an organization like SOS here in Louisville and I can't wait to volunteer again!

I found out about the Center for Accessible Living through their Suit Closet program. The Suit…read moreCloset provides appropriate work attire for men who are re-entering the work force. The Center for Accessible Living is the first independent living center in Kentucky. They provide a full range of programs and services for individuals with disabilities. They help people learn to be independent whether it is through budgeting classes, obtaining hearing assistance and so many other services it is mind boggling. Their goal is to help people get moving in the direction they want as they overcome their personal obstacles. I was very impressed with the center & their staff and even more impressed with the mission of this organization.

I move about every two years and finding a place to donate items that I can't or don't want to move…read moreis always a hassle. Smaller cities like Louisville have only 1 or 2 places that even pick-up donations. I filled out the form on KYRM.org website, then did a follow up call the next day. Most places in larger cities want a 4 weeks heads up, but Melissa got back to me within a day or so, and scheduled the pickup the next week. When there was a misunderstanding about one of the pieces, no problem. We scheduled a second date and was able to donate even more stuff. Five stars for Melissa Siegel, she was super patience with all my emails and questions. Just a hint: If you have larger furniture that comes apart, best to take it fully apart before they arrive, so they know it'll fit in the truck. Plus, I don't think the pickup guys carry tools. But, they do have dollies.

Awesome ministry to help refugees here in Louisville. It was surprising for me when I found out…read morethat Louisville has a large refugee community. If you have time you might volunteer with them to help some of the refugees that are coming to Louisville.